Stevens Irregulars

Prejudice and Stereotyping in the Movie, Crash

"Crash" is a movie that exposes different kinds of social and multicultural differences, giving us a quick example of how these conducts affect our society. Two of the behaviors observed, are Prejudice and Stereotyping. Identified as the causes of where all the events eradicate.

These behaviors are viewed as thoughts and feelings that almost everyone has felt more than once.

In the first scene we observe a Muslim man inside a firearm store, attempting to buy a gun. The owner is a white Caucasian male that presents a negative attitude towards the customer because of his Muslim background. This feeling triggers in the owner, negative attitudes based on the assimilation and stereotypes with the Muslim race. Being immediately associated with the Al Qaeda terrorist group, which was responsible for suicidal bombers that have killed thousand of Americans.

This negative attitude and violence observed in this particular scene, is an example of Prejudice, known as a negative feeling and predisposition of behavior towards a group or any member belonging to that group (**). It is an issue that although it has always existed in humanity, it would be though to have dissipated in the 21st century. Taking in count that now in the in days we are better informed and educated to understand that one group's actions shouldn't be applied to stereotype the whole race.

As far as personal experience, living in Miami,-Florida, as a none-Cuban Latin, makes it easier to have an insight in all kinds of prejudice and stereotypes within the same Hispanic society. This behavior makes it hard to not feel negatively judged by others who do belong to the majority group. Unfortunately prejudice is not simply an attitude that remains internal to its owner; it impacts behavior. When negative attitudes on the basis of differences translate into behavior, we have as a result, discrimination and the social inequity it produces. Therefore, efforts to reduce prejudice are well advised to take the social context into consideration when focusing on the individuals' attitudes.

This is an issue not only found in America but in the whole world.

In our global economy requiring functional and respectful relationships between nations, prejudice and stereotypes can be a destructive force both in the world and in individual societies, especially in diverse ones.

Prejudice becomes threatening when it reaches its most extreme form, known as Bigotry. Acting on ones hatred can lead to behavior to what we now in days call "hate crime", such as in the scene where they break into the Muslim's man business and vandalize the place completely. Such acts can lead us to many disgraces even death.

This movie shows us the different point of view of people in our society, it gives us an insight of the stereotypes we have build within our society, within the world. It invites us to see and understand how such a small stereotype and negative attitude can go a long way and affect people in different ways.

It is important that we learn how to control prejudice and the stereotypes we hold against other groups, since this is are attitudes and feelings that learned and not innate we can teach ourselves to discard these negatives behaviors by not being judgmental and predisposing ourselves negatively towards others.

The key to changing stereotypes and prejudice is largely the job of individuals. Each of us should examine the assumptions that we make about others and ask ourselves where those assumptions come from. Upon what information are they based? Are they based on personal experiences with others? In what context? Might "the other" be different in different situations? Are your assumptions based on things you have heard from others? Learned from the TV or movies? Learned in school? Is it possible that some of your negative images are wrong -- at least for some people?

In most cases, the answer to that last question is likely to be "yes." Most groups have moderates and extremists, try to get to know people as individuals, instead of groups will reduce the stereotypes you hold of others, and it is also likely to reduce the stereotypes others hold of us. Everyday we'll be faced with reactions. How we interpret the situation will color our perception of daily life.

Movie Crash and Racial Tensions

Tension between the African Americans and Caucasians have been present in America for decades. In the movie Crash (2004), race and culture are major themes that can be seen in the lives of the characters in the film. One character in particular, Cameron, a prestigious color vision director, displays the friction between two cultures. He belongs to the educated, upper class of the Los Angeles area. He is also an African American, yet he seems to have no ties with that class. He has a light-skinned wife, attends award shows, and it appears that his acquaintances are predominately white. When he and his wife, Christine, get pulled over by a racist cop, he experiences emotions of powerlessness and helplessness that he never knew he would experience due to his upbringing and place in society. Cameron goes through a radical transformation where he comes to grips with his background and how he fits into these two clashing cultures.

In the first scene when Cameron is introduced, two white cops get a call about a stolen car. The openly

This movie Directed by Paul Haggis who also directed Academy Award Winning "Million Dollar Baby" and had also won an Academy Award for this movie as well puts a twisted story in this film. This movie is trying to symbolize what goes on in the world today in regards to racism and stereotypes. He tries to make a point on how societies view themselves and others in the world based on there ethnicities. This movie intertwines several different people's lives, all different races, with different types of beliefs. Such ethnicities include Caucasians, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Middle Eastern. This movie includes conflicts on both sides of the picture from cops and criminals as well from being rich or poor. You see everyone being ignorant and paranoid of the opposite race. Through the movie you view how different races "Crash" and react with other races. In certain scenes you see how each person thinks of other races. Their r...

Martin Luther King stated "Yes, I am intouchable, and every Negro in the United States of America is an